River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-07-21
LABOR AND THE DRINK HABIT.

LABOR AND THE DRINK HABIT.
In thoughtful article on "Drink
and Labor, the St. Louis Central
Christian Advocate says:
Labor reformers contend that the
destitution and want of the poor are
caused by inadequate wages. The
standing formula by which they express
their chief grievance is; Wage workers
do not get fair share of the joint pro-
duct of capital and labor. This means
simply that wages are too low, and is
doubtless true. But one cause of low
wages is the drinking habits of work
men. Sober labor has to complete
with the labor of drinking men. and
this not only lowers the general average
of wages. but actually makes the wages
of sober men less than they would be
if all were sober. A witness before the
Senate Committee testified that drink
ing workmen keep wages down To the
rate they themselves can command.
They are obliged to sell their half
drunken labor at the figure. and when
pressure comes they have no reserves,
and so must 90 into the market and
accept what they can obtain. The
drink-habits of working people also
lessen wages in another way; wages de-
pend upon the demand for labor, which,
in turn, depends upon the demand for
the products of labor, which in turn,
depends upon the purchasing power of
the people. The enormous sums wasted
by the poor in drink would if not so
spent. be used by them to purchase the
products of legitimate industry, and
would greatly increase the demand for
these products, and thus the demand
for and price of labor would be in
creased. The waste in drink by the
rich and well TODD classes does not
tend in this way to reduce wages, be-
cause they have the means to buy all
they want of other things. But two
thirds of the 5000, 900. 900 drink-bill of
this country, or 5000, 100000. is paid
by wage-workers, and this is all needed
by them to procure food, clothing, fuel
and homes, with whatever is necessary
to make them comfortable and attrae-
tive; and the greater part of it would.
but for their drink-habits. be spent for
these purposes. Add to the 5000, 000,-
000 they pay for drink as much more
lost IN time wasted by drinking men.
and the sum. 81, 200. 100000 would
still be below the actual amount an
nually withdrawn from the purchasing
power of the poor and from the indus
tries that furnish labor and wages, In
the light of these facts it is clear that
" hat is called over production is largely
due to the under consumption of people
impoverished by drink. 1t is equally
clear that wages are very appreciab' v
diminished by this uuderconsumption.'
re GET UP CHEAP DINNER.
The modern recipes for making cheap
dishes are made upon the supposition
that YOU are to obtain the materials of
manufacture for nothing. They shonld
be written in this form: Go to the
market and beg meat bone from the
butcher; steal couple of parsnips and
half dozen of potatoes out of the ped
dler's cart; get your grocer to trust you
for half a pound of rice; borrow from
your neighbor "A cuplul of flour; from
another neighbor a bod of coal; put
your bone into quart of water and
let il stew slowly; slice your potatoes
and parsnips; get an onion somewhere
and slice it also; put these in with the
bone; stew two hours and add your
flour; simmer twenty minutes and serve.
This dinner will supply father and
mother and twelve children, and there
will be enough left to feed four tramps.
Cost one-hundreth part of a cent for
match to start fire. Who would be
poor?
LUCKY CLOVER.
H. tho RfanElun dentist